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OVERVIEW OF MIGRANT TAXPAYERS IN 2013-14

Permanent migrants who have arrived since 2000

According to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) migration statistics, 2.2 million permanent visas were granted to migrants between 1 July 2000 and 30 June 2014 (DIBP, 2015). Although levels fluctuated from year to year throughout this period, migrants who entered Australia were predominantly from the Skill stream, representing almost two thirds of permanent migrants (60%). A further 31% were Family migrants and 9% were Humanitarian migrants.

Graph 1: Migration and Humanitarian Programme outcomes, Proportion of total visa grants (a), By Financial year of visa grant and Visa stream

According to the 2013-14 Personal Income Tax and Migrants Integrated Dataset (PITMID):

Almost two-thirds of migrant taxpayers held a Skill stream visa (64%). A further 29% were Family stream migrants, 5% were Humanitarian migrants and less than 3% held a Provisional visa;

Migrant taxpayers reported $84 billion in total personal income in 2013-14, an increase of 7% on 2012-13. The majority share of this income was reported by Skill stream migrants (73%), followed by those in the Family stream (23%);

Most migrant taxpayers’ personal income was Employee income ($76 billion or 90%). This represented a 5.9% increase in real terms on this group's total Employee income in 2012-13; and

The number of migrant taxpayers in 2013-14 increased by 6.1% compared with migrant taxpayers in 2012-13.

Graph 2 shows that the proportion of migrant taxpayers by visa stream has remained fairly stable for the last five years.

Table 1: Migrant Taxpayers, Total income By Visa stream, 2012-13 and 2013-14 (a)

2012-13

2013-14

Persons

Total income

Median income

Persons

Total income

Median income

Change in Median income

No

%

$ million

%

$

No

%

$ million

%

$

%

Skill

868 387

64.2

57 603

73.3

52 306

911 500

63.5

61 001

72.9

52 892

1.1

Family

388 680

28.7

17 921

22.8

36 441

413 641

28.8

19 167

22.9

36 618

0.5

Humanitarian

64 050

4.7

2 188

2.8

29 615

71 627

5.0

2 478

3.0

30 277

2.2

Other permanent

1 016

0.1

54

0.1

44 645

1 056

0.1

55

0.1

42 494

-4.8

Provisional

31 201

2.3

860

1.1

23 860

37 440

2.6

999

1.2

22 568

-5.4

Total (b)

1 353 334

100.0

78 625

100.0

44 955

1 435 264

100.0

83 701

100.0

45 200

0.5

(a) In real terms, i.e. income amounts from 2012-13 to 2013-14 are in 2013-14 dollars, adjusted using changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).(b) Includes Visa stream "Unknown".

Median incomes of migrant taxpayers

The median Employee income of migrant taxpayers in 2013-14 was $48,400. This represented a 1.0% increase in real terms on median Employee income in 2012-13. The median Employee income of migrant taxpayers was higher than the median Employee income for all Australian taxpayers ($45,700).

Skill stream migrant taxpayers had the highest median Employee income at $55,400.

Humanitarian migrants and those who held a Provisional visa had the lowest median Employee incomes, with $34,000 and $22,800 respectively.

In 2013-14, migrants with Other permanent visas recorded the highest median Business income ($16,000). Humanitarian migrants continued to have high median Business income in 2013-14 ($15,700) representing an increase of 12% on 2012-13.

Family stream migrant taxpayers who previously held a Temporary visa experienced a positive effect on their median Employee income ($39,700 for those who had previously held a temporary visa compared with $35,900 for those who had not);

Skill stream migrant taxpayers who previously held a Temporary visa reported slightly higher median Employee income than those who were permanent residents on arrival ($53,500 compared with $52,600);

Prior residency status had little impact on the median Employee income of Humanitarian and Provisional migrants (differences of $200 or less); and

Only migrant taxpayers with an Other permanent visa who had previously held a Temporary visa reported a lower median Employee income than those who were permanent residents on arrival ($46,400 compared with $47,800).

Income amounts from 2009-10 to 2013-14 are in 2013-14 dollars, adjusted using changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

In 2012-13, the Tax Free Threshold increased from $6,000 to $18,200. This may have an impact on median incomes reported from 2012-13 onwards.

Other income (excluding Government pensions and allowances) includes transfer or trust income; foreign investment fund and/or foreign life insurance assurance policy income (in 2009-10 only); controlled foreign company income; foreign salary/pension income; other net foreign source income; and other (including superannuation and annuity income). Data for superannuation and annuities are understated. See Explanatory Notes for more information.